"LeDom du Vin: a Wine blog to enjoy 'til the last drop!"
Tasting everything from anywhere, from the multimillion dollar Chateaux to that small, unknown cellar ending a dirt path surrounded by vineyards...

Monday, February 8, 2010

Located in Maremma, a region of Tuscany, Elisabetta Geppetti has been making excellent wines in Fattoria Le Pupille, since 1985.

In 1978, Morellino di Scansano DOC was created, and in the same year the first harvest of the wine of the same name was made at Le Pupille.

A fairly new wine for this estate, Poggio Valente’s first vintage was the 1997. The history of Poggio Valente began in 1996, when Elisabetta decided to buy a beautiful 12 hectares vineyard near the town of Pereta. Poggio Valente is somewhat of a cru of Morellino di Scansano, which is awaited year after year by the connoisseurs.

Poggio Valente is made with 4 clones of Sangiovese and a touch of Alicante . The Vineyard consists of 12 hectares planted at an altitude of 280 meters above sea level, with east/south-east sun exposure. The soil is predominantly sandy, rich of stones and sandstone. Date of plantation: 6 hectares in the early 1970s, 6 hectares in 1996 with constant researches and studies of the soils and the planting of the most adapted clone. The completed restructuration of the entire vineyard was finished in 2006.

Harvest period usually occurs in the first half of October when the grapes attained ideal ripeness. Alcoholic and Malolactic fermentations take place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. Then, the wine stays for 15 months in 40% new and 60% second usage barriques. It is put on the market the third January following its harvest, meaning 3 years later (roughly 18 months after bottling in order to rest in the bottle to reach perfect drinking conditions). Average annual production: 45,000 bottles.

Despite its age, the 1998 vintage is still alive and kicking, boasting secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors enhanced by a great acidity and tannin structure. Once young, this wine used to be quite ripe and rich yet quite bright, plush and rounded at the same time, but somewhat a bit austere. It needed time. Since then it has nicely evolved, time hasn’t wizened this wine, on the contrary it has helped it to settle down and integrate. Behind its garnet color of medium to full intensity and brick orange reflects on the rime, aromas of dark berries, plum, underbrush, forest floor and bitter chocolate mingled with floral, roasted coffee and tobacco hints. The palate seems to have kept its balance and harmony between the fruit, the acidity and the tannins. The once slightly austere and earthy finish is now more open and enjoyable, yet still a bit dry; it left the spotlight to the mature plumy and berry fruit. Although I lately tasted better wines from Fattoria Le Pupille, overall, the 1998 Poggio Valente was interesting experience and definitely a food friendly wine.

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